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EMBOSSING MACHINE HAVING PLURAL CARRIAGE MEANS W. T GOLLWlTZER l7 Sheets-Sheet 17 Original Filed July 29, 1963 Inventor Walter '[ZGoHwItyar' 33 waflzwqkwwd 13m United States Patent 3,323,628 EMBOSSING MACHINE HAVING PLURAL CARRIAGE MEANS Walter T. Gollwitzer, Euclid, Ohio, assignorto Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Original application July 29, 1963, Ser. No. 301,693, now Patent No. 3,253,691, dated May 31, 1966. Divided and this application Sept. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 491,725

21 Claims. (Cl. 197-61) This invention relates to embossing machines of the kind effective to produce type characters, data representations and the like on plates, cards or kindred devices of metal, plastic or fibrous material and which are used in printing, sorting, calculating or like operations and for identification, classification and similar purposes. This application is a division of parent application Ser. No. 301,693, filed July 29, 1963, now Patent No. 3,253,691.

Embossing machines of the aforesaid kind which are, and have long been, in extensive use and which are keyboard operated are disclosed in Patents Nos. 1,518,903 and 1,831,103.

In embossing machines of this kind, resort is had to a circular die head that is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis. A continuous channel extends into such a die head from the periphery thereof and divides the peripheral part of the head into upper and lower portions. Sets of cooperating punches and dies are mounted in the peripheral part of the die head with the punch and die of each set respectively aligned one with the other. The punches and dies are respectively mounted for reciprocal movement in the upper and lower portions of the die head whereby the punches are disposed on one side of the continuous channel and the dies on the other.

In keyboard controlled embossing machines of this kind, when a key pertaining to a particular type character of the like is depressed, rotary motion of the die head is arrested to dispose a selected punch and die in alignment one with the other at a predetermined location in the machine known as the embossing position. The device to be embossed, usually in plate form, when disposed in embossing position extends into the aforesaid channel in the die head between the particular punch and cooperating die at embossing position. When pressure is applied and the punch and die at embossing position are moved one toward the other, a type character or the like is embossed in the interposed device or plate.

In embossing machines of the aforesaid nature, as these have been arranged heretofore, each device or plate to be embossed is customarily removably secured in a jaw mounted on a carriage that is effective to advance the plate to be embossed to and through the embossing position in the machine. Usually .a plate secured in such a jaw is initially so advanced to the embossing position that a predetermined portion of the plate is disposed in embossing position. As an incident to each embossing operation, the plate is advanced through embossing position in such a way that successive embossing operations produce a row of aligned type characters or the like on the plate in side-by side relation.

Of course provision is made to afford blank spaces in the row of type characters when required as, for example, between the last letter in the first part of a two-part name or title and the first letter of the second part of such name or title. When more than a single row of embossures is to be afforded on the device or plate extended into the aforesaid channel in the die head, the jaw, in which the plate is secured, is arranged for movement on the carriage in a direction normal to the direction of the aforesaid step-by-step movement to afford line spacing between rows of type characters.

3,323,628 Patented June 6, 1967 See j positioning of the embossures enables a clear and neat impression to be made therefrom. Such. accurate positioning, however, is even more impotant when the embossures are employed to afford data representations which are to be mechanically, electrically, or optically sensed or scanned to control calculating, sorting or similar operations.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to secure and move a device to be embossed, usually in plate form, into and through an embossing position in an embossing machine so that each embossure formed on the device in the machine will be accurately located thereon, usually in a predetermined or selected position. Other objects, related to this, are to afford a single path of movement through an embossing machine for a plate 1 or the like to be embossed; to so relate operative elements in the machine, and especially those at the embossing position therein, to a path of movement as aforesaid that accommodation need not be afforded for both step-by-step movement of the to-be-ernbossed device or place and for movement of the device or plate in a direction normal to the step-by-step movement; to locate plate storage and receiving arrangements: at predetermined positions in the machine so related to the arrangement afiording the single path movement of plates through the machine, that a supply of plates to be embossed may be disposed in the storage arrangement to be advanced therefrom one by one into and along the path affording arrangement and through embossing position in the machine, and then to the plate-receiving arrangement there- .in; and to provide for manual introduction into the emof type characters to be embossed on the plate in sideby-side relation and to enable the position of the die head relative to embossing position and the to-be-embossed plate to be altered when required so as to enable a row of type characters to be embossed on the plate 1 in spaced relation to a previously embossed row of such characters and thereby afford so-called line spacing between rows of type characters, without movement of the plate from the single path of movement afforded therefor in the machine.

Further objects of this invention are to provide for advancement of each to-be-embossed plate through embossing position with only a limited portion of the plate gripped or otherwise secured in the machine, thereby enabling embossures to be effected on the plate in close proximity along opposite edges thereof; to so arrange the means effective to move each plate or the like through embossing position that such means will be disposed in a predetermined position upon receiving a plate and to enable such means to move the plate from that predetermined position to embossing position in the machine; to control movement of such means by an escapement arrangement such as that referred to herein above and for the purposes explained hereinabove; to cause the means effective to move a to-be-ernbossed plate through embossing position to advance to a plate release position when the embossing operation on such plate has been completed; and to enable such means to be returned to the aforesaid predetermined position so that a succeeding plate may be disposed therein subsequent to the release of an embossed plate from the device.

In carrying out an embossing operation, in an embossing machine of the kind to which this invention relates, the application of appreciable force is required to move the punch and die of a particular set relative to each other and into high-pressure engagement with the plate to be embossed. It is therefore yet another object of this invention to afford a novel arrangement which will expeditiously and effectively apply the required pressure for each embossing operation effected in the machine; and to so construct and relate the punch and die supports and the pressure-effecting elements in the machine that stresses attendant to embossing operations will be so dissipated as to avoid distortion and the like, thereby insuring accurate positioning and functioning of each selected punch and die set at the embossing position and to accomplish embossing in a unique fashion; and to account for an unusual mode of applying mechanical focus for embossing.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what is now considered to be the best mode contemplated for applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of the embossing machine of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a. plan view of a metallic printing plate of the kind adapted to be embossed in the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a plastic printing and identification card of the kind adapted to be embossed in the machine of this invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmental perspective partially diagrammatic view particularly illustrative of the drive mechanism of the machine;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view looking in at the righthand corner of the machine as illustrated in FIG. 1 and wherein certain of the elements illustrated in FIG. 1 are omitted and also wherein the cover plates have been removed;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the machine as illustrated in FIG. 1 and wherein the top cover plate of the machine has been removed;

FIG. 7 is an end elevational view with the side cover plate removed and which is taken substantially on the line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view looking in at the front of the machine and wherein the cover plates are removed;

FIG. 9 is a vertical view of a portion of the plate feeding mechanism and which is taken substantially on the line 9-9 of FIG. 6 wherein the plate carriage is related to the embossing position of the machine;

FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 1010' of FIG. 12;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 11-411 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the various positions of metallic printing plates as these are advanced in the machine to be embossed and otherwise acted upon;

FIG. 13 is a view taken on the line 1313 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 12 but illustrating the carriages in plate feed position;

FIGS. 15, 16 and 17 are detail views illustrating position of the carriage drive bar;

FIG. 18 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 1818 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 19 is a sectional view illustrating aspects of the embossing carriage;

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary sectional view showing carriage drive bar control features;

FIGS. 21 and 22 are sectional views of the embossing carriage and related parts;

FIG. 23 is a fragmental front elevation of the carriage return and plate discharge mechanism;

FIG. 24 is a side elevational view of the apparatus as shown in FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a detail sectional view of the apparatus showing features of the plate roller structure;

FIG. 26 is a plan view of the plate discharge mechanism;

FIG. 27 is a front elevation of the arrangement shown in FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 28-28 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 29 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 29-29 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 30 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale in comparison to FIG. 29 and showing a punch and die in character embossing position;

FIGS. 31 and 32 are sectional views substantially on the lines 31-31 and 32-32 of FIG. 29 and illustrating the relationship of the driving eccentrics shown in FIG. 29;

FIG. 33 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3333 of FIG. 28;

FIG. 34 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 34-34 of FIG. 28;

FIGS. 35 and 36 are fragmentary sectional views illustrating conditions prevailing, respectively, prior to and at the time of actuation of an embossing operation;

FIG. 37 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3737 of FIG. 28;

FIG. 38 is a view similar to FIG. 29, but showing the structure arranged for embossing of a plastic plate; and

FIG. 39 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale illustrating the manner in which punch and die mechanism are related to a plastic plate.

General description While the embossing machine of this invention is readily adaptable to effect embossing of metal plates as P, FIG. 2, it is equally applicable to the embossing of plastic printing and identification plates as PP shown in FIG. 3.

Metal plates as P that are to be embossed in the machine are inserted into a vertically oriented magazine M, FIG. 1, to be stacked one above the other. Desirably, a weight or follower W is set on the top of the stack of plates in the magazine M to insure that the plates will be picked up by the plate feeding means to be advanced from the magazine into the various positions in the machine whereat the plates come to rest in the course of operation.

The lowermost plate P in the magazine M is advanced from the magazine by means described hereinafter into station I of the machine, FIGS. 1 and 12. As will be described hereinafte-r, there are certain instances where it will be advantageous to hand feed a plate into position to enable the same to be embossed, and in such circumstances the plate is initially disposed in station I as described in detail hereinafter.

In automatic operation of the machine, after a plate has been advanced from the magazine M to station I, the carriage C of the machine, FIG. 12, is moved into a position immediately adjacent the left-hand end of station I, as viewed in FIG. 12. Thereupon when the lowermost plate in the magazine M is advanced therefrom into station I, a plate as P which has been disposed in station I i advanced by the on-coming plate into the carriage C, which thereafter moves into the position II whereat the first type character is to be embossed on a plate as P. Through the intermediary of an escapement, a plate disposed in the carriageC is moved from the aforesaid initial position toward the right as viewed in FIG. 12 to have other type characters in the same line as the first type character which appears thereon. The embossing mechanism is incorporated in an embossing head 700, FIG. 4, explained in full detail in the above identified patent and which is movable in a direction normal to character spacing movements of the carriage C to enable predetermined spacing to be achieved among the lines of embossed characters on the plate P.

When embossing of the first line of type characters on a plate as P has been completed, the carriage C returns to the aforesaid initial position and thereupon the line spacing mechanism is actuated to move the embossing head into position to emboss the second line of characters on the plate P. Sometimes the first type character in the second line of embossed type characters is embossed on the plate to be in alignment with the first type character in the first line thereon. In other instances, the first type character in the second line may be embossed out of alignment with the first type character in the first line as shown. When this is desired, the plate is positioned in the proper position through the intermediary of a tabular mechanism described in full detail in the above-identified patent.

The aforesaid escapment mechanism advances the plate, as aforesaid, while the second line of type characters is being embossed thereon. When the embossing of this line of type characters has been completed, the plate is then disposed in position to have a third line of type characters embossed thereon and through the intermediary of the aforesaid line spacing mechanism, the embossing head is repositioned the second time. If the start of the third line of embossing is to be out of alignment with the starting positions of the other lines of embossing on the plate, then resort will be had to the aforesaid tabulator mechanism to position the plate in position whereat the first type character in the third line is to be embossed. When embossing of the plate as P has been completed, the plate is then advanced from the carriage C to station III in the machine, FIG. 12. When metal plates as P are being embossed, suitable means are provided at station III to roll over the type characters embossed thereon so as to thereby insure that the embossed type characters will be of uniform height on a particular plate.

After a plate has been advanced to station III, means in the machine return the carriage C into position to receive a succeeding plate from station I, and also such means function to cause the carriage to return to the position whereat the first type character is to be embossed on the particular plate P in the carriage C.

As will be explained hereinafter, when the rolling of a plate has been completed at station III, the plate is then advanced from this station into a discharge chute DC, FIG. 27, to eventually be collected in the plate collector PC, FIGS. 1 and 27.

The embossing of a plate as P when the same is disposed in the carriage C may either be effected through the operation of a keyboard as K, FIG. 1, or a tape reader unit as TR, FIG. 1.

It may here be noted that the electrical circuitry for controlling various parts herein referred to is fully explained and illustrated in the above-identified patent, and hence reference may be had to the disclosure in that patent for details in this regard. Further, I have retained in the present drawings reference characters identical to those of the aforesaid patent, the purpose of this being to enable the parts herein described to be readily related to the drawings of the above-identified patent, and in particular details regarding inter-relationship of driving and driven parts.

Punch and die actuation The type matrix comprises a pair of type boxes 697 and 698, FIGS. 28 and 29, which carry the punch and die sets in a manner fully described in the above-identified patent.

These type boxes are supported in the type holder 537,

FIGS. 28 and 29, and this holder is disposed Within the cavity of a ram support head in the form of a C-frame 700, FIG. 4. The head thus comprises a pair of laterally spaced C-shaped frame members 701 and 702, FIG. 5. As will be noted in FIGS. 28 and 29, the holder 537 is normally disposed adjacent the bights as 701B of the frame members 701 and 702, whereas the punch and die type boxes 697 and 698 are at the front of the machine.

A punch actuating ram 706 is associated within the space separating the upper legs as 701U of the frame members 701 and 702, FIG. 29, and is located between these legs in position just above the heads 707H, FIG. 30, of the individual punches 707. A die actuating ram 708 is associated with the lower legs as 701L of the frame members 701 and 702 and is located between these legs in a position just below the downwardly disposed heads 7 09H, FIG. 30, of the die members 709.

The punch and die actuating rams are in accurate alignment so as to impart substantially simultaneous forces to the selected punch and die elements so that these will effect an embossure on the plate P in the manner illustrated in FIG. 30 to bring the complemental character representing configurations at the opposed operative ends of the punch and die elements into squeezing relationship with the opposite faces of the plate to be embossed. In this connection, and as will be described in more detail hereinafter, it is important that the die as 709, FIG. 30, be pressed against the lower face of the plate to be embossed just prior to the punch being engaged with the upper face of the plate as P to be embossed.

Under the present invention, the punch and die actuating rams have the necessary forces imparted thereto by a related pair of arms 711 and 712, and the manner in which this is accomplished in conjunction with cam means which impart punch and die operating motion to the arms 711 and 712 will now be described.

Referring to FIG. 28, the upwardly directed constantly rotating shaft 121 has the upper end thereof connected by a universal joint assembly 715 to the lower end of a sleeve 716, FIG. 29, which represents the driving element of a one revolution, spring-type clutch 720 of the type identified as 169 in the aforesaid patent, Thus, the sleeve 716 is positioned at the lower end of a driven shaft 721, FIG. 29, and the latter is driven only when the clutch 720 is engaged. In order to retain the sleeve 716 in this position, the lower end thereof is recessed at 716R, FIG. 28, to afford an internal annular shoulder. A thin retainer plate 722 is disposed on the aforesaid shoulder of the sleeve 716 and is secured to the lower end of shaft 721 by a screw 723. It should be pointed out that the sleeve 716 will rotate relative to the retainer 722, and as noted above, shaft 721 is not driven until the clutch 720 is engaged.

The driven element of the clutch includes a sleeve 725 which, as shown in FIG. 28, is pinned to the lower end of the driven shaft 721. Another sleeve 726 is concentrically disposed about the sleeves 716 and 725 in spaced relation thereto, and a clutch spring 727 is disposed in the annular space thus afliorded between the sleeves for the purpose above described in connection with clutch 169 of the aforesaid patent.

The clutch 720 is normally held disengaged by an armature plate 730, FIG. 29, under control electromagnetic coils 731 and 732 which are mounted on a bracket 733 in turn secured to the lower bend of the C- frame plate 701. So long as the coils 731 and 732 are deenergized, the free end of the armature 730 is in a holding position against a shoulder 7265, FIG. 29, formed by slotting the sleeve 726. Under this circumstance, the clutch spring 727 is unwound and ineffective to transmit a drive from sleeve 716 to sleeve 725, However, when an embossure is to be effected, the electromagnetic coils 731 and of a pair of 

1. IN AN EMBOSSING MACHINE WHEREIN INDIVIDUAL PUNCH AND DIE ELEMENTS ARE TO BE ACTUATED TO EFFECT AN EMBOSSURE ON A PLATE, RESPECTIVE RAM MEANS ALLOCATED TO THE PUNCH AND DIE ELEMENTS AND NORMALLY SPACED THEREFROM IN NON-ACTUATED POSITIONS, SAID RAM MEANS BEING MOVABLE ALONG A COMMON AXIS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER TO EFFECT PUNCH AND DIE ACTUATION AS AFORESAID, A PAIR OF RAM ACTUATING ARMS RESPECTIVELY MOVABLE IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER AND ALONG PATHS THAT ARE GENERALLY NORMAL TO THE AFORESAID AXIS, SAID ARMS AT ONE END THEREOF EACH HAVING AN OPERATING CAM ASSOCIATED THEREWITH TO IMPART A LINEAR MOTION THERETO, AND SAID OPERATING CAMS EACH BEING MOUNTED ON A ROTATABLE SHAFT THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID AXIS WHEREBY, UPON ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT, SAID CAMS ARE TURNED PRODUCING RAM-ACTUATING LINEAR MOTION OF SAID ARMS ALONG SAID PATHS, SAID ARMS AT THE OTHER ENDS THEREOF HAVING OPERATING ELEMENTS THEREON ENGAGEABLE WITH THE OPERATING HEADS SAID RAMS AND HAVING OTHER ELEMENTS ENGAGEABLE BY OTHER CAM MEANS TO IMPART DRIVING MOTION TO SAID RAMS WHEN THE FIRST-NAMED CAM MEANS ARE EFFECTIVE TO CAUSE LINEAR MOVEMENT OF SAID ARMS AS AFORESAID, AND MEANS EFFECTIVE ON OPERATION OF SAID OPERATING CAMS TO CAUSE ONE OF THE RAM MEANS TO PRECEDE THE OTHER DURING ACTUATION. 